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Multimedia Minutes: Watchdog Looking Out for Waste
July 16th, 2010
Another strong example of proactive journalism, making the reporter and the newscast uniquely valuable.
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | 1 Comment »
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Multimedia Minutes: How to Bring Your Brand of Journalism Alive
June 6th, 2010
Many multimedia journalists are surprised when we test their stories and the promos for them with viewers. They often get lost in a Sea of Sameness. But promos like these do punch through.
Simply put, make sure there’s nothng subtle about how you deliver on your brand of journalism.
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Sharpen your visual storytelling and promotion skills. Look at the Recent Posts to the right — fast becoming the largest library of learning videos for multimedia journalists on the planet.
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | No Comments »
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Multimedia Minutes: Think Libraries are Safe for Kids? See What Chelsea Kopta Revealed
June 3rd, 2010
You can learn alot about asking the tough questions and going the extra steps by watching this example of viewer advocacy.
I asked Chelsea to tell us the story behind the story, which she did with the help of a Flip Cam. You probably know this, but when she refers to a viewer writing about “pc,” it means politically correct.
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | 1 Comment »
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Multimedia Minutes: Viewer Advocacy Comes Alive — Just Watch Holly Zuluaga Take Action
May 31st, 2010
Viewers love reporters who watch out for them rather than simply react to the news of the day. In this example, see how KEPR-TV’s brand of journalism comes alive in the first few seconds of the lead-in, then watch Holly Zuluaga deliver on it through her tough questions, her follow-up questions, her fair treatment of the other side of the story, and her strong storytelling. Plus she’s covering one of the hottest topics around — bullying in the schools.
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | 6 Comments »
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Multimedia Minutes: Selling a Visually Weak Story
May 10th, 2010
One of the most frequent complaints from multimedia journalists and promotion producers is “How do you engage viewers when your visuals are dull?” The solution comes in the planning and the role the reporter plays, as you see in this example.
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | 2 Comments »
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Multimedia Minutes: Why Throw a Brick at a TV Set?
May 2nd, 2010
A viewer threatened to smash her TV set if anchors and reporters continued to ask softball questions of officials when she wanted tough questions — especially those related to wasting tax money. Many viewers share her opinion.
This represents an opportunity to serve those viewers. One station with a “asking tough question” brand of journalism is WRGB-TV/Albany. We collaborated with news director Lisa Jackson on creating this promo, which grabbed viewers’ attention in a convincing way when we tested it in focus groups.
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | No Comments »
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Multimedia Minutes: Dealing with “That’s a Silly Question”
April 30th, 2010
Savvy officials and politicians know how to manage the media — especially multimedia journalists new to their craft. One of the ways they can cut you down is by responding ”That’s a silly question.”
It can make you feel incompetent. But you can rise to the occasion, as the reporter in this promo did.
You also saw in this spot how asking the tough questions to get answers for your viewers represents a powerful brand of journalism. It takes preparation and courage on your part, but it’s way to thrive in an Extinct or Distinct environment.
Same for anchors. In this case, Greg Floyd at WRGB-TV get out from the anchor test to ask the tough questions. A great example of anchor as Chief Journalist and Viewer Advocate.
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | 2 Comments »
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Multimedia Minutes: Valuable Learning Tool
April 28th, 2010
Here’s a valuable way to celebrate progress, keep momentum going, and raise the bar: Viewing examples of memorable moments every week. A news director or news manager ensures the best examples are dubbed off, viewed, and discussed. In the case of this viewer advocacy station, the examples show the tough questions for the week:
Yes, proof of branding will be much easier if you take this weekly approach.
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | No Comments »
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Multimedia Minutes: Asking the Tough Questions
April 25th, 2010
Skeptics criticize reporters for asking the softball questions. Comments include “They don’t have the courage to ask the questions we want answered.” So asking those questions will set you apart from the competition.
In this promo, WRGB-TV/Albany takes credit for holding officials accountable. Look at how a reporter deals with an official saying, “That’s a silly question.”
You might also watch:
Multimedia Minutes: Viewer Advocacy
Multimedia Minutes: Tough Time with Tough Questions?
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | 2 Comments »
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Multimedia Minutes: Adding Punch to Your Writing
April 25th, 2010
To showcase you do more than react to the news of the day, you need to write proactively. Through transparency, take credit for what you do that’s special. Here’s an example.
You likely can’t turn out a story like this a day. But the more often you can deliver on this type of fact finding, the more uniquely valuable viewers will find your stories on air and on the Web.
Posted in broadcast journalism, Multimedia Journalism, Power Tools for TV Journalists, TV news training | 11 Comments »